Barbara Willis dies at 94; California ceramist

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Eva Zeisel was a ceramic artist and designer known for her tableware. Few who admired her often-abstract designs knew that she had been imprisoned as a young woman in the Soviet Union and later forced to flee Nazi-occupied Austria. She was 105. Full obituary(Talisman Brolin / Chronicle Books)

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A free-form sculptor, John Chamberlain crafted works from masses of crushed cars and automobile sheet metal. He was 84. Full obituary(Librado Romero / Associated Press)

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, the mercurial strongman who styled himself as a “Dear Leader” while ruling over an impoverished police state, defied and baffled the world with his nuclear aims and bizarre actions. He was 69. Full obituary(Dmitry Astakhov / Itar-Tass / Abaca Press / MCT)

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A former dissident playwright, Havel was the revered first president of Czechoslovakia after it overthrew Communist rule in 1989. His slogan: “May truth and love triumph over lies and hatred.” He was 75. Full obituary(Petr David Josek / Associated Press)

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The British American’s polemical writings on religion, politics, war and other hot-button topics established him as a leading public intellectual. His openness about having cancer elicited thousands of letters and emails to Vanity Fair, where he was a longtime contributor. He was 62. Full obituary(Christian Witkin / TwelveBooks)

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Over the years, George Whitman sheltered about 50,000 young, struggling writer types for free at his legendary Paris bookshop Shakespeare & Co. on the Left Bank. It also was a magnet for writers like Allen Ginsberg, Anais Nin and Lawrence Durrell. He was 98. Full obituary(Kristin Jackson / Seattle Times)

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The iconoclastic producer of “Easy Rider,” “Five Easy Pieces,” “The Last Picture Show” and the Oscar-winning “Hearts and Minds” helped filmmakers break out of the studio system. Schneider also co-created the Monkees, the popular made-for-TV rock quartet modeled on the Beatles who starred in their own Emmy-winning sitcom from 1966 to 1968. He was 78. Full obituary

Emmy Award-winning Harry Morgan played LAPD Officer Bill Gannon opposite Jack Webb in “Dragnet” and Col. Sherman T. Potter in the hit series “MASH.” He also appeared on the Broadway stage and in more than 50 films. Above, Morgan, right, with “MASH” costars Alan Alda and Mike Farrell. He was 96. Full obituary

Hubert Sumlin‘s snarling guitar helped define Howlin’ Wolf‘s sound. Though Sumlin never attained a fraction of the fame of his celebrated boss, he is revered by fellow blues musicians. He was 80. Full obituary

The Hewlett-Packard chairwoman rose from secretary to leader of a financial firm before joining the HP board. She resigned in 2006 after it was revealed that she approved spying on other board members. She was 58. Full obituary(Chris Kleponis / Bloomberg News)

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Sues was a campy regular on “Rowan & Martin‘s Laugh-In,” playing characters including effeminate sportscaster Big Al and perpetually hung-over children’s show host Uncle Al the Kiddies’ Pal. He was 85. Full obituary

The daughter of stars Loretta Young and Clark Gable, Lewis wrote tenderly about her only meeting with Gable at age 15. Young, an unmarried, staunch Catholic, faked an adoption of Lewis, who did not learn the truth about her parentage until she was an adult. She had careers as an actress and a psychotherapist. She was 76. Full obituary(Jill Connelly / Associated Press)

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The director of “Women in Love,” Russell was described as an enfant terrible of British cinema, specializing in films about musicians and music, notably the Who’s “Tommy.” Above, Russell with British model Twiggy during the filming of the movie “The Boy Friend” in 1971. He was 84. Full obituary

The daughter of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin embarrassed the ruling Communists and caused an international furor by defecting to the U.S. during the Cold War. She later became a bestselling author. She was 85. Full obituary(Icarus Films)

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Known as “Father Dollar Bill,” Father Maurice Chase handed out dollar bills on Los Angeles’ skid row, caring more about the gift of human love than about what his beneficiaries did with the money. He was 92. Full obituary

Heavy D helped shaped rap music as the frontman of Heavy D and the Boyz, which fused New Jack Swing with reggae. He later became a record executive and had a successful acting career. He was 44. Full obituary

The heavyweight champ had epic bouts with Muhammad Ali. In 1971 he became the first fighter to defeat Ali, then lost two rematches. In his 37 professional fights, “Smokin’ Joe” won 32 times. But he never accepted his 1-2 record against Ali. He was 67. Full obituary

A writer who won Emmys for the Oscar telecasts, Kanter was the creator of the landmark TV show “Julia,” the first sitcom to star an African American actress as a professional rather than a domestic. He was 92. Full obituary

Matty Alou won the National League batting title in 1966 while with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He and his brothers Felipe and Jesus became the only trio of brothers to play outfield together in a 1963 game. He was 72. Full obituary.

A legendary producer, director and impresario of the Geffen Playhouse, Gil Cates restored the luster to the Academy Awards telecasts, recruiting hosts such as Billy Crystal and Steve Martin. He was 77. Full obituary

The Native American activist was the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit that accused the federal government of cheating Native Americans in its management of Indian land, resulting in a record $3.4-billion settlement. She was 65. Full obituary

The computer scientist wrote the popular C programming language in the early 1970s and helped develop the Unix operating system. He was 70. Full obituary(Associated Press)

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The Los Angeles arts patron and her husband, talent agent Phil Gersh, were early collectors of modern and contemporary art. They donated 13 important works to the Museum of Contemporary Art, which she helped found. Above, Gersh and her husband at the Museum of Contemporary Art. She was 87. Full obituary

Al Davis, the controversial longtime owner of the Oakland Raiders, started as the team’s head coach and general manager and rose to become its principal owner. He is perhaps best remembered in Los Angeles as the sweatsuit-clad rebel with slicked-back hair and a secretive nature who successfully sued to relocate his team from Oakland to L.A. in 1982, then moved it back to Oakland in 1995. He was 82. Full obituary

Roger Williams was of the most popular instrumentalists of the mid-20th century and hit No. 1 on the pop charts in 1955 with his arpeggio-strewn “Autumn Leaves.” Between 1955 and 1972, he had 22 hit singles -- including “Born Free” -- and 38 hit albums. He was 87. Full obituary

Fred Shuttlesworth was the last of the civil rights movement’s “Big Three.” With the Revs. Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph David Abernathy, he founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957. Above, Shuttlesworth, center, with King and Abernathy in 1963. Shuttlesworth died Oct. 5 at 89. Full obituary

The Scottish singer-guitarist influenced rock and folk greats including Neil Young, Jimmy Page, Paul Simon and Pete Townshend, who credit Jansch’s effect on their music and celebrate his virtuosic playing and evocative songwriting. He was 67. Full obituary

Arthur C. Nielsen Jr.'s lifelong efforts remade his father’s once-obscure market research company into a global giant, with a brand name that became a symbol for television ratings. He was 92. Full obituary

During a showdown with the Roman Catholic Church in the late 1960s, Anita Caspary and the Los Angeles order she led, the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, were cast as “rebel nuns” for progressive reforms that included abandoning the nun’s habit and suspending a fixed time for prayer. She was 95. Full obituary

Ralph Steinman died just days before the Nobel committee announced he had won the Nobel Prize in Medicine. His heirs will still receive his share of the award because the Nobel committee did not know of his death. He and two others were honored for their work with the immune system. He was 68. Full obituary

Gent, a standout basketball player in college who chose the NFL over the NBA, turned his vivid memories of a five-year career with the Dallas Cowboys into the blisteringly candid novel “‘North Dallas Forty” that became a bestseller. He was 69. Full obituary

Robinson owned Sugar Hill Records. The label released “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugar Hill Gang in 1979. It’s considered the first mainstream hip-hop hit. She also had a solo hit with “Pillow Talk” in 1973. She was 76. Full obituary

He invented the first practical implantable pacemaker. The electrical engineer’s handmade device was named by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1983 as one of the 10 greatest engineering contributions to society in the previous 50 years. He was 92. Full obituary

The prolific Southern California architect helped develop new ways of wrapping buildings in smooth glass skins, accelerating a shift that reshaped skylines around the world. Above, a building he designed in Beverly Hills. He was 83. Full obituary

The widow of Bob Hope oversaw the couple’s charitable giving and played a key role in establishing the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. She was a singer when she met Hope; their 69-year marriage ended with his death in 2003. She was 102. Full obituary

The Reno pilot was an experienced racer who loved to fly and had been competing for decades. Leeward crashed during a race in Reno while piloting the Galloping Ghost, a World War II-era P-51 Mustang fighter he and friends retrofitted for racing. Leeward was killed, as were spectators on the ground. He was 74. Full obituary

Starting as an actress later in life, Frances Bay found success in a series of character parts, including roles on “Happy Days” and “Seinfeld” and in David Lynch‘s films. Above, she plays Adam Sandler‘s grandmother in “Happy Gilmore.” She was 92. Full obituary

John Calley ran Warner Bros., United Artists and Sony Pictures and produced several notable films, including “The Remains of the Day,” “Catch-22" and “The Da Vinci Code,” in a long career capped in 2009 by an honorary Academy Award. He was 81. Full obituary

The NFL Hall of Famer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers teamed with his brothers to create a dominant defensive front and led Oklahoma to back-to-back national college championships. He was 56.
(J. Meric / Getty Images)

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An audacious pilot and driver often called the “First Lady of Firsts,” Betty Skelton was a three-time women’s international aerobatics champion and the first female test driver in the auto industry. She was 85. Full obituary

The Chicago bluesman, the son of a sharecropper and grandson of a slave, performed with the founders of the art form: Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, Son House, Tommy McLennan, Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Joe Williams. He was the last of the bluesmen from his generation. He was 96. Full obituary

June Wayne founded the Tamarind Lithography Workshop in Los Angeles in the 1960s, where leading artists collaborated with professional printers to create high-quality prints. She was also a prolific artist in her own right. She was 93. Full obituary

Nick Ashford and his wife Valerie Simpson made up the songwriting and performing team of Ashford & Simpson, which had success at Motown with classics such as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand.” Above, an Ashford & Simpson performance in 1984. He was 70. Full obituary

Songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller’s first No. 1 hit was Elvis Presley‘s “Hound Dog.” They also wrote for the Coasters, the Drifters, Ben E. King and many other artists. A popular musical based on their songs, “Smokey Joe’s Cafe,” opened on Broadway in 1995. Above, Leiber, right, with Elvis and Stoller in 1957. He was 78. Full obituary

Edie Wasserman and her husband, Universal Studios boss Lew Wasserman, were known as the “king and queen of Hollywood.” Their generosity helped fund the Music Center, the California Institute of the Arts and the Motion Picture and Television Fund. Above, Wasserman with her husband in 1973. She was 95. Full obituary

The longtime Oregon senator was a bedrock of moderate Republicanism. He was a devout Christian who opposed prayer in the public schools and managed to negotiate common ground among the environmentalists, loggers, anti-abortion activists, death penalty foes, business owners, farmers and antiwar protesters who were his constituents. He was 89. Full obituary

The NFL player, who was the No. 1 draft pick from Michigan State in 1967, played for the Baltimore Colts, the Oakland Raiders and the Houston Oilers. Later, he appeared in popular beer commercials and acted in films and on TV. He was 66. Full obituary

The Oscar-nominated art director was best known for her work on “The Last Picture Show” and “Paper Moon,” both directed by former husband Peter Bogdanovich. She also was an executive in filmmaker James L. Brooks’ company. She was 72. Full obituary

A founding member of the band America, Dan Peek’s soft-rock trio had big hits in the 1970s with “A Horse With No Name,” “Ventura Highway” and “Sister Golden Hair.” Above, Peek, center, with bandmates Dewey Bunnel, right, and Gerry Beckley in 1976. He was 60. Full obituary

The veteran character actor, a former Oklahoma oilman who didn’t begin acting until he was in his 40s, was known for playing authority figures, including roles in “The Godfather: Part II” and “Apocalypse Now.” He was 90. Full obituary

A Democratic Party leader, Manatt founded an influential law firm in Los Angeles and helped rebuild the party’s fundraising and grass-roots operations as its chairman during the Reagan era. President Clinton appointed him ambassador to the Dominican Republic. He was 75. Full obituary

The toy maker and co-founder of Mattel developed popular products including the Uke-A-Doodle, Burp Gun and Hot Wheels. With the help of his wife’s creation of Barbie, Mattel joined the Fortune 500 in 1965. Above, with his granddaughter Cheryl Segal in 1967. He was 95. Full obituary

The British painter, whose works are highly prized by collectors, created subjects in anguished, anti-erotic poses. He used impasto, a technique involving the thick application of paint, to create his highly textured portraits. He was 88. Full obituary

Lillian Mobley, a tireless South Los Angeles activist, fought to establish the King/Drew hospital and its related medical school. Above, Mobley, right, looks on as Dr. George Locke greets Rep. Maxine Waters at King/Drew in 2004. She was 81. Full obituary

A native of Germany, Olberz bought a ski and tennis shop in La Cañada Flintridge and expanded it into outdoor-superstore chain Sport Chalet, with 55 outlets in California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah. He was 86. Full obituary

The comedy writer and producer created “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Brady Bunch. " He also wrote the memorable theme-song lyrics for both the wacky tale of a shipwrecked “three-hour tour” and the story of the marriage between a “lovely lady” with three daughters and “a man named Brady” with three sons. Above, Schwartz in 2008 receives kisses from Florence Henderson, who played Mrs. Brady, and Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann on “Gilligan’s Island.” He was 94. Full obituary

The former first lady captivated the nation with her unabashed candor and forthright discussion of her personal battles with breast cancer, prescription drug addiction and alcoholism. She founded the widely emulated Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., for the treatment of chemical dependencies. She was 93. Full obituary

The old-school manager won back-to-back World Series with the Oakland A’s. Williams spent more than six decades in pro baseball, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers on the day he graduated from Pasadena High in 1947. As a manager he also won pennants with the Red Sox and Padres. Above, Williams holds the National League trophy in San Diego in 1984. He was 82. Full obituary

John Mackey‘s speed and receiving ability over a 10-year pro football career that included a Super Bowl win in 1971 changed the way tight ends were perceived. In his final years, stricken by dementia, he became a symbol of the brutality of football. He was 69. Full obituary

The internationally renowned American artist, whose work blurred the boundaries of painting, drawing and handwritten poetry, was recognized with Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg as one of the three most important American artists to emerge in the 1950s. Above, the artist at the Louvre, where he designed and painted the ceiling of a large gallery of bronze sculptures last year. He was 83. Full obituary

The gravel-voiced Falk had a more than 50-year acting career that spanned movies, stage and TV. He became an enduring television icon portraying Lt. Columbo, the rumpled raincoat-wearing Los Angeles police homicide detective who always had “just one more thing” to ask a suspect. He was 83. Full obituary

The saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen‘s E Street Band put his stamp on such Springsteen classics as “Born to Run” and “Rosalita.” He was known both for his full-throttle tenor sax work and his larger-than-life onstage persona as “the Big Man.” He was 69. Full obituary

A founding member of the Coasters, Gardner was also lead singer of the R&B group, whose hits included “Yakety Yak,” “Charlie Brown” and “Poison Ivy.” Above, Gardner, left, with Earl Carroll, Billy Guy and Will Jones. He was 83. Full obituary

The film producer blazed a trail for women in Hollywood and overcame obstacles to get the “Spider-Man” movies made. In doing so, she paved the way for the superhero fare now standard during the summer filmgoing season. She was 61. Full obituary

Best known for his role as Marshal Matt Dillon in “Gunsmoke,” one of the longest-running prime-time series in network TV history, Arness was a towering symbol of frontier justice in the series that broke the mold for TV westerns. He was 88. Full obituary

Known as “Dr. Death,” Kevorkian was an advocate and practitioner of physician-assisted suicide. The former Michigan pathologist claims to have assisted in the suicides of more than 130 terminally ill people between 1990 and 1998. He served eight years in prison for second-degree murder after he administered a lethal injection himself. He was 83. Full obituary

The singer and poet “set the template’"for rap music. He combined social and political commentary with spoken words and musical grooves in ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ and other songs. He was 62. Full obituary

The reclusive heiress, a copper tycoon’s daughter, preferred to be known as Madame Clark and to be surrounded by her expensive French dolls. Relatives accuse her lawyer and accountant of mishandling her massive estate. She was 104. Full obituary

The professional wrestling star Macho Man Randy Savage had multiple reigns as a WWE (then WWF) and WCW champion. He was widely recognized for his colorful fashion and signature cowboy hat. He was 58. | Full obituary

The Hall of Famer was one of baseball’s premier home-run hitters. Known for his towering drives, Killebrew hit 573 homers in 22 seasons that included an American League pennant with the Minnesota Twins in 1965 and a most valuable player award in 1969. One manager said he could hit the ball out of any park, “including Yellowstone.” He was 74. Full obituary

The playwright and Broadway director, who won two Tony Awards, wrote the books for the classic Broadway musicals “West Side Story” and “Gypsy.” His screen credits include “The Way We Were” and “Rope.” He was believed to be 93. Full obituary

A child star in the ‘30s and part of the “Our Gang” cast, Jackie Cooper evolved into a successful 1950s TV star, a top ‘60s TV studio executive and an Emmy-winning director in the ‘70s. He was 88. Full obituary

Osama bin Laden, a scion of one of Saudi Arabia’s wealthiest families, became the grim apostle of a strain of Islamic radicalism that exalted violence against nonbelievers and the leader of a terrorist network that launched repeated attacks in the West, most spectacularly in the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001. He was killed in a firefight with U.S. forces in Abbotabad, about 30 miles northeast of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Full obituary

The flashy, sharp-tongued former South Vietnam dignitary was dubbed the “Dragon Lady” for her often callous, inflammatory remarks, Ngo Dinh Nhu faded into exile after her family’s regime was toppled in the mid-1960s. She was 86. Full obituary

The singer gained fame with her 1974 hit, “Poetry Man.” She received wide acclaim for her self-titled album, which showed off her multi-octave range and musical versatility. She had suffered a brain hemorrhage in January 2010. She was 60. Full obituary

The Hall of Fame fullback with the San Francisco 49ers was nicknamed ‘the Jet’ because of his speed. He became the first player to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. He was 84. Full obituary

He was considered a living god by millions of Hindus. After declaring himself the reincarnation of a Hindu saint in 1940, he built a loyal following, including politicians and celebrities, despite allegations of sexual abuse. He leaves a trust worth billions of dollars. He was 84. Full obituary

Raised in poverty in the West Virginia coal country, she formed a popular bluegrass singing duo with Alice Gerrard before continuing as a solo artist. She was a lifelong advocate for miners, the poor and women, causes that were infused into her music. She was 75. Full obituary

The architect incorporated aerodynamic designs into his whimsical midcentury “Googie” coffee shops, including the original Norms on La Cienega Boulevard in L.A. and Pann’s in Westchester, to attract passing motorists. He was 94. Full obituary | Photos: “Googie” architecture

The developer of the Kendall-Jackson wine brand was a San Francisco lawyer who became a skilled wine merchant and titan of the industry. In recent years, Jackson owned winning racehorses, including Rachel Alexandra. He was 81. Full obituary

The “I Love Lucy” writer collaborated with partner Bob Carroll Jr. on the groundbreaking series in the 1950s and continued to work with Lucille Ball over four decades. The pioneering female comedy writer is remembered as a “class act.” She was 90. Full obituary

The Canadian actor may be best known for his role in 1969’s “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” with Jane Fonda, above. His other film credits include “The Sweet Ride,” “The Pursuit of Happiness” and “The Gumball Rally.” He was 70. Full obituary

Harman was a philanthropist, polymath and pioneer in high-fidelity sound for homes and cars. Last year, he tried to resuscitate an icon of American journalism when he bought Newsweek. The husband of former Rep. Jane Harman died of complications from leukemia. He was 92. Full obituary

The biochemist won the 1976 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for discovering the hepatitis B virus, which causes severe liver disease and cancer. He later developed the vaccine that protects against it. He was 85. Full obituary

Prolific director Sidney Lumet, a four-time Oscar nominee, was known for guiding strong performances in films such as “12 Angry Men,” “Network” and “Dog Day Afternoon.” He directed more than 40 films in his long career, many of them in his hometown of New York. He was 86. Full obituary

The handsome leading man was best known for roles in Hitchcock films. He began his acting career as a teenager in 1943’s “The North Star” (pictured) and went on to star in such movies as “They Live by Night” and Hitchcock’s “Rope” and “Strangers on a Train.” He later appeared on Broadway and in a range of TV roles. He was 85. Full obituary

A prolific thinker and creator, he is credited with innovations in cable modems, interactive TV, airport metal detectors and the “packet switching” technology that helped lead to the Internet. Above, Baran receives the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Bush in 2008. He was 84. Full obituary

Ferraro shattered a political barrier for women as a vice presidential nominee in 1984. Her run with Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale made her a symbol for women’s equality. The candidacy of the congresswoman was an attempt to turn the “gender gap” of the 1980s to the Democrats’ advantage. She was 75. Full obituary

The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright’s most notable works were “Talley’s Folly,” “The Hot L Baltimore” and “Burn This.” He was a longtime collaborator at New York’s Circle Repertory Company. He was 73. Full obituary

The legendary star of stage and screen who won two Oscars, married multiple times, became a successful businesswoman and helped to pioneer the fight against AIDS, died of congestive heart failure. She was 79. Full obituary

The influential steel guitarist played with Buck Owens, Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard. He was one of the architects of the “Bakersfield sound” of country music, a louder, more rhythmically propulsive version of the music coming out of Nashville in the ‘50s. He co-wrote the hit “Crazy Arms,” which became a No. 1 hit in 1956. He was 82. Full obituary

The former secretary of State’s quiet diplomacy was prized from Washington to Los Angeles. Christopher’s tenacity and decorum helped him secure the release of U.S. hostages from Iran for President Carter and broker the Bosnian peace agreement for President Clinton. He led a probe into the LAPD after the Rodney G. King beating that resulted in key reforms. He was 85. Full obituary

The entertainer who came out of Bakersfield helped open doors for a California strain of country music. He charted more than 50 country hits from the 1950s to the 1970s. He created the template for the Nashville Sound, according to one music historian. He was 85. Full obituary

The West Coast rapper created the blend of singing-rapping known as G-funk. Born Nathaniel D. Hale in Long Beach, he gained attention for two tracks on Dr. Dre‘s 1992 debut “The Chronic.” He lent his baritone vocals to hits by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Warren G and earned a Grammy nomination for the track “Regulate” in 1995. He was 41. Full obituary

Stanley was known as the “Acid King” of the ‘60s psychedlic era. He reputedly made more than 1 million doses of LSD, much of which fueled Ken Kesey‘s notorious Acid Tests -- rollicking parties featuring all manner of psychedelic substances, strobe lights and music. He was 76. Full obituary

The political reporter and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist wrote more than four decades for the Washington Post, where he mentored countless colleagues. He appeared on “Meet the Press” some 400 times. He was 81. Full obituary

The Dutch physicist shared the 1984 Nobel Prize with Italian Carlo Rubbia for the discovery of elementary particles known as W and Z, which link two of the four fundamental forces of nature. He was 85. Full obituary

Frank Buckles, the last American veteran of World War I, drove ambulances in France and later spent years in an internment camp after Japan’s invasion of the Philippines in WWII. He was 110. Full obituary

Duke Snider, an eight-time All-Star, was a Dodger in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. One of the “Boys of Summer,” he helped the team to Brooklyn’s only World Series title as well as six National League championships. He was 84. Full obituary

She dated Bob Dylan for four transformative years and wrote an acclaimed book about Greenwich Village in the ‘60s. The cover of “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” shows the couple walking arm-in-arm. She was 67. Full obituary

The comic book and animation writer was a co-founder of Milestone Media, a landmark company that created a multicultural comics line that introduced black superheroes such as Hardware and Static. He was 49. Full obituary

The obstetrician championed abortion rights before switching sides. Nathanson helped found the National Assn. for the Repeal of Abortion Laws. But in the 1970s he professed unease about the procedure. In 1984 he narrated the anti-abortion film “The Silent Scream.” He was 84. Full obituary

The corporate turnaround expert nicknamed “Mr. Chapter 11,” Sigoloff is credited with leading companies such as Wickes out of bankruptcy. Millions in Southern California know him from his “We got the message, Mr. Sigoloff” TV commercials for Wickes’ now-defunct Builders Emporium chain. He was 80. Full obituary

Matson was an NFL Hall of Famer who played on some of the worst Rams teams. The Texas native blocked, caught passes and, early in his career, played defense as well as offense. Thanks to his Olympic-caliber speed -- he won two medals in the 1952 Helsinki Games -- he was known for his breakaway running with the ball. He was 80. Full obituary

The former Hollywood press agent made a successful leap to producing. Seltzer led successful ad campaigns for 1935’s “Mutiny on the Bounty” and 1955’s “Marty” and later helped Charlton Heston make “Soylent Green” and “The Omega Man.” In retirement he was a tenacious fundraiser for the Motion Picture and Television Fund. Above, he receives the Fund’s Silver Medallion from actors Burt Lancaster, left, and Kirk Douglas. He was 96. Full obituary

UCSan Francisco geneticist Dr. Charles Epstein helped unlock the secrets of Down syndrome. He also survived an attack by the Unabomber. He was 77. Full obituary(Associated Press)

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A Southern California surfing and snowboarding enthusiast, Allen brought standards to surf and snowboard cultures, coaching Orange County high school surfing teams and establishing an organization to oversee snowboarding contests. He was 74. Full obituary(Peter Townend Collection)

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George Shearing, a top British jazz pianist, came to the U.S. in 1946, then hit on a musical formula that established him in the jazz world and made him one of its leading artists for half a century. Above, Shearing at a party with Lynn Redgrave in 1968. He was 91. Full obituary(Richard Drew)

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The versatile comedic actress was in MGM musicals and a regular on “All in the Family” and “Laverne & Shirley.” She also starred on Broadway and in Los Angeles theater productions. She was 91. Full obituary

Altmann forced the return of a Gustav Klimt portrait seized by Nazis. At age 82, she went to the U.S. Supreme Court and won the battle for a famous portrait of her aunt and other artworks. She was 94. Full obituary(Associated Press)

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The author of “Redwall” children’s fantasy novels, Jacques wrote in the British tradition of anthropomorphic literary animals and pop medievalism when he created one of the most popular fantasy series in contemporary literature. He preferred to say that he wrote a “good yarn.” He was 71. Full obituary(Los Angeles Times)

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J. Paul Getty III, the scion of the oil dynasty, was kidnapped at the age of 16 in Italy in 1973. The kidnappers severed his ear and sent it to Getty’s father and grandfather as proof. His grandfather then paid $2.2 million. Getty was incapacitated by a stroke in 1981. He was 54. Full obituary(Associated Press)

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The composer won five Oscars for films such as “Born Free” and “Out of Africa” and scored Bond films including “Goldfinger,” “Diamonds Are Forever” and “From Russia With Love.” His work on the Bond franchise put him in the forefront of music composers. He was 77. Full obituary

Grannis photographs documented California surf culture of the 1960s and ‘70s. His images helped popularize and immortalize the sport -- and the life behind it -- at a crucial point in its history. “His photos captured the real thing,” wrote surfing journalist Steve Barilotti. He was 93. Full obituary(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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Maria Schneider starred in “Last Tango in Paris.” The film is considered a classic, but it also included notorious sex scenes. In her later years, Schneider expressed regret about appearing in the film, saying “I felt a little raped” by costar Marlon Brando and director Bernardo Bertolucci. She was 58. Full obituary

The zany, character-oriented comedian’s visual brand of humor was punctuated with a bizarre array of facial expressions and sound effects. Mel Brooks says he “was a cast of thousands all by himself.” He was 83. Full obituary

Horton sang “Please Mr. Postman” with the Marvelettes. She was just 15 when she recorded Motown Records’ first No. 1 pop single in 1961. The group had six top 20 singles, including “Beachwood 4-5789,” “Don’t Mess With Bill” and “Playboy.” Horton is pictured above, at left, with Katherine Anderson and Wanda Young of the Marvelettes. She was 65. Full obituary(Motown archive)

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With his brother and singing partner Ira, Charlie Louvin created a harmonizing sound that inspired the likes of the Everly Brothers, the Beatles, Emmylou Harris and successive generations of musicians. He was 83. Full obituary(Tennessean)

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The Mexican bishop championed rights of Maya Indians. He organized a network of lay Bible teachers who fanned out across Chiapas state, allowing Indians to participate in church worship in ways never before possible. In 1994, during the Zapatista rebellion, he mediated peace talks. He was 86. Full obituary(Associated Press)

The spiritual father of the U.S. fitness movement, LaLanne opened what’s believed to be the country’s first health club in Oakland in 1936. In the ‘50s he started a TV exercise show geared toward housewives, and he sold a popular line of exercise equipment, supplements and health food. He was 96. Full obituary(File photo)

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Dr. McCulloch and his research partner biophycisist James E. Till were the first to isolate and identify a stem cell. Their pioneering work opened the door to bone marrow transplants and to what researchers believe eventually will be a host of treatments for a broad spectrum of diseases. He was 84. Full obituary(University Health Network)

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Sargent Shriver, a lawyer and Kennedy in-law, worked for JFK’s and Lyndon Johnson’s administrations. He launched social programs including the Peace Corps, Head Start and the Job Corps and led the “war on poverty.” Programs he created “still change people’s lives,” says daughter Maria Shriver. Above, with his wife Eunice in 1968. He was 95. Full obituary(Charles Harrity / Associated Press)

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Don Kirshner guided the careers of songwriters, launched the Monkees and introduced TV audiences to an array of musicians and comics through his show in the 1970s. He was 76. Full obituary

Uncle Milton’s Ant Farm was an instant hit in the fad-crazy 1950s. More than 20 million were sold during Levine’s lifetime. “Humanity can learn a lot from the ant,” he said. He was 97. Full obituary(Associated Press)

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British actress Susannah York rose to fame in the 1960s for her work in such films as “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” for which she was nominated for an Oscar. She was 72. Full obituary

David Nelson and his brother, Rick, joined their parents on “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” on radio in 1949. The show moved to TV in 1952 and ran for 14 years. David Nelson later became a director. He was 74. Full obituary

In a career that spanned seven decades, Margaret Whiting, who was mentored by Johnny Mercer, recorded more than 700 songs, including “That Old Black Magic” and “Come Rain or Come Shine,” and had a dozen gold records. She was 86. Full obituary(File photo)

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The British director earned Academy Award nominations for “Breaking Away” and “The Dresser.” “Bullitt” was Yates’ American directing debut. It starred Steve McQueen as a detective and featured a memorable car chase on the streets of San Francisco with McQueen at the wheel of a Mustang. He was 81. Full obituary

U.S. District Judge John Roll had stopped by to say hello to his friend Rep. Gabrielle Giffords at a Jan. 8 Tucson event that Giffords was hosting for constituents when a gunman opened fire. Six people, including Roll, were killed. The judge had received death threats in the past over disputes involving illegal immigration. Full obituary(Associated Press)

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The exiled Hmong general and fabled soldier was a key ally to the United States during the Vietnam War. He was 81.Above, the general in 1963 during a troop briefing in the jungles of Laos. Full obituary(File photo)

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The actor was nominated for an Oscar for “In the Name of the Father.” Steven Spielberg, who directed Postlethwaite in “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” and “Amistad,” once called him “probably the best actor in the world.” Full obituary

A shapely blond with a beauty mark next to her lower lip, the New York native costarred in the 1950s science-fiction classic “Forbidden Planet.” She also played the title role in “Honey West,” the mid-1960s TV series about a sexy female private detective with a pet ocelot. She was 80. Full obituary

Nearly 40 years after she had stopped producing pottery, Barbara Willis made a startling discovery at a Long Beach flea market in 1995. Without her knowledge, she had become a highly collectible artist.

After she pointed to a vase and said, “I made that,” she learned that her vibrantly colored, crackle-glaze pottery from the 1940s and ‘50s was in demand. Collectors had been searching for her for years.

Prodded by fans, Willis re-started her career as a ceramist when she was in her late 70s, hand-molding pieces in her Malibu kitchen. The first time around, she was among the first to adapt studio techniques to commercial pottery, using molds to mass produce simple geometric wares that had a hand-made look.

Willis died Sept. 3 of natural causes at her home in San Ramon, Calif., said her daughter, Liz Graham. She was 94.

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“She was a really important figure in the commercial pottery scene in California,” said Bill Stern, executive director of the Museum of California Design. “She also was one of the first of what we now call Midcentury Modern designers in California.”

“Barbara set out to make pottery that had the visual feel of handmade pottery that could be made inexpensively enough for the general public to afford,” he said. “She was enormously successful at it.”

Her vintage pieces are prized for their combination of terra-cotta bisque and volcanic or crackled glazes, much like those thrown by master ceramist Laura Andreson, with whom Willis studied at UCLA.

In the early 1940s, Willis began making pottery in a studio her father built behind her family’s Fairfax district home. By 1948, she had a North Hollywood studio and more than a dozen employees.

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“Her glazes were really splendid and really distinctive,” Stern said. “And she achieved something difficult by making crackle glazes that appear to have broken lines in them. She brought that to a new level by having employees use wire brushes to make striations. It was quite sophisticated.”

She was soon making $25,000 a year at a time when “my girlfriends were making $1,200 a year,” Willis told The Times in 2003. “I was very successful, especially for a woman.”

Her streamlined pieces that included vases, bowls and platters remain her most popular. She also made small items such as ashtrays, candle holders and housewares decorated with decals.

As inexpensive ceramic imports flooded the market in the 1950s, most of California’s small potteries were forced out of business. Willis closed her shop in 1958 after having produced more than 250,000 pieces, she once estimated.

With characteristic matter-of-factness, Willis later said: “It was just a business and it was over with.”

Putting her clay away, she started a second business importing artificial flowers and later bought and resold Malibu real estate. Willis was largely forgotten as a potter until the 1980s, when there was renewed interest in her work.

“She never considered herself an artist until the 1990s, when she was rediscovered,” her daughter said.

Of her late-in-life resurgence as a grand dame of commercial Modernist pottery, Willis told The Times in 2003: “I can’t get over this; it’s so ridiculous.”

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She was born Barbara Lucile Thompson on June 29, 1917, in Bakersfield to Glenn Thompson, a farmer turned wrought-iron designer, and his wife, Lucile.

When she was 8, she moved to Los Angeles with her parents and an older brother, who died in World War II.

At UCLA, she majored in education and minored in art, receiving her bachelor’s degree in 1940.

With her husband away in the military in the early 1940s, she turned to pottery, signing her pieces with her married name, “Barbara Willis.” The marriage and a second one ended in divorce. She was also known as Barbara Willis Abbott.

Her work was featured in 2001 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and in 2003 at what is now the Autry Museum of the American West. It also is part of “California Design, 1930-1965,” set to open Oct. 1 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and in an exhibit scheduled to open next August at the Autry.

Unable to lift the heavy clay, Willis stopped making her modern line when she was 92. After living on the coast in Malibu for nearly 50 years, she moved to San Ramon in 2009 to be near her daughter, who is her sole survivor.

Once Willis realized that her work was sought after, she built her own collection since she had kept so little of her art. The astonishment of others was an unexpected ally, her daughter recalled: “No one knew she was still around. Some people would give her the piece because they were so excited that she was still alive.”